Avalanche Forecast

Fair - Due to variable snowpack conditions for the entire period

Overnight and Sunday: Cloudy with light Westerly winds overnight becoming strong Westerly in the afternoon. No precipitation overnight, 5-10 cms Sunday afternoon. Freezing level dropping to valley bottom overnight and up to about 1000 metres during the day.Monday: Alpine temperatures -6.0 with gusty West winds and light flurries.Tuesday: Winds shifting to Southwest as the next pulse of moisture brings 5-10 cms of snow to elevations above 1000 metres.

The cycle of natural and skier triggered avalanches continued on Friday with the average avalanche size increasing to size 2.0. The West Monashee area near Mabel Lake was the most reactive area in the region with natural avalanches up to size 3.0. There was one skier accidental avalanche size 1.5 from the Southern Selkirks that released below treeline at 1450 metres and was 40 cms deep.

The recent storm snow has been reported to be settling into a cohesive slab above the old surfaces that were buried on January 23rd. The storm slab is about 50 cms deep in most places and is sitting on a weak layer of surface hoar and facets at treeline and below, and in some places on an old sun crust in the alpine. Some areas in the West Monashees have a layer of heavier moist snow near the surface that may be sitting on a variable freezing rain crust that is down about 20 cms.